Suture gun



Sept. 23, 1952 2,611,366

SUTURE GUN Filed Nov. 20, 1951 Patented Sept. 23, 1952 UNITED? PATENT OFFICE.

I I r 2,611,366 e I SUT-URE" GUN" Bureau-Mull, Tullahomag'lenm. AnnlicaticniNuvember 20, 1951,, Serial Nfo, 25.22 29 This invention relates to a'suturing instru# ment and more particularly to an instrument consisting-of a suturing needleand a, handle therefor; the latter-containingasuppI yofthread or suture material and" pneumatic means for feeding'the suture throughthe needle.-

Annbject of my intention isto provide an: instrument which can be operatect to:- insert the needle and feed the suture with one hancl leav me the other han'cl fi'eefor other activities such as assisting-in-ty-ing the suture;

Another object of my inventioxris' toipnovidea self-contained instrument: capable of feeding: any desired length of suture upcn simply pressing thesutureieediorreleasehuttonn A furtherxcbject of the invention; to provide means for positively holding the; suture with 1- respect: to: the: instrument when it: not .being: fed. 01: ejected; Yr

Afurther'r object ofJthe invention to provide P a. self-contained; instrument comprising: means for supplying the motive force; for 1 ej ecting'; the

thread;

The invention isiilustratem the accmnpa-nye ing drawings lmwhich'r; s V

Fig; 1 isr-a full sizesideelevationzofthe; instrument; y

Fig; 2'! is; a; side elevation cfaportion of the suture governor: Y I

Fig; 3 is: an end: view oi the suture governor; Fig; 4-. is a sideelevationof the suture spool supporting sleeve; 1

Eig. 5: is a longitudinal sectionioi the-complete instrument on an enlargedsoale; with portions of the handleand: of: the needle shaiitomitted; to reducetherlength of thefiguregand Fla. 6 isa sideelevation of the stem at the gascontrol valve. 1 Y ReierringxtoFig; 1:, I: is the-handle ofijthe' inrstrument; 2" is a plug; closing the rear'end; of the handle, 3; is awing screw for: applying pressure to the gas container: (1| t,...see; Eiexfi) is a: plug closing; the: other end of the; handle t, 5-- ie the needlegshaft, 6; is the? cnnvedzneedle; L the gas control valve and; 8: is: the adjustable suture holder.

. 2 Referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the wing screw" 3 has a threaded shaft 9 extending throughtheplug- 2. Shaft-9 has a'socket-containing the two balls lllwhich provide a frictionless contact withthegasccntainerl I. i f The end ofthe handle I adjacent the plug 'Z has a cylindrical cavity for the cr'm'ipressed gas container orcartridge H (shown in broken line in-Fig. 5) of the type commonlyused for making carbonated. beverages. Such cartridges 'areprovided with a soft metal closure at one end adapted to hes-punctured to 'releasath e carbon dioxide. At the lowerend of the cylihdrical cavity-dust referred to is the-longitudinally extending large cylindrical smooth loci-e12 and-tho smaller longitudinally "eiiten dingbore 13;- the latter-- beingthreaded at lea-st at its upper end to receivethe threaded shankof the s ear I4 The large-bore 12" contains the'packiheringl 5-which preferably is madeof? rubber or" similar elastic material which in itsunco'mpressedcondition-ex t-end's upwardly. beyond the tip of the-spear 14 so that the cartridge I'I may be" inserted without "contacting the spear I4= until the wing screw it is turned? to force the cartridge clownward 'to the positionshown in Fig. Ethereby compressing the 1 I i-Hg? l5 and causingthespear- I4 to puncture the end: of the'cartridge. This downward movement 01*: the cartridge H serves" also to seal the endzof the cartridge againstthering I 5 and thus topreventleakage of gas; After the cartridge H has been punctured-by the-spear It the screw 3 is backed; oil slightlytopermit gas to escape throughthepuncture. v

The. threaded shank of the spear M is provided-iwitha groove it to permit the flow of gas from the: puncture in the cartridge around the pointer the spear I54, through the central opening in the-ring l5 and. through said groove- Hi to ther-gasccntrolvalve 1 i As seenin Fig.5, the'bore l3 commum'catesat its lower end:- with. a laterally extending: bore which contains the gas flow control valve 1,. it-his valve. comprises the valve body I11 andaamov'able stem which consists; of the shaft tilifiwith' the integrallhead [19f onions end and operatin :=but-'- tom 205 on. theother end; The heaol I 9 hias a conical sealing surface at an angle of about 30" and; asli ghtly.- roundecilower surface. The shaft 1:86 is': provided with the longitudinal groove or flat and circumferential groove- 22 -to permit the passage oi gas throug-h the'opcning ZB-irrt-he valivebody I! when the-head: 2-9 with the washer is pr ssed and Separated frames seat on 1 the-lower endofthevalve body I 1. Theshait I 8 has a groove 64 for attaching the washer 24. The valve body I1 is provided with a circumferential groove 21 which communicates with the opening 23. The packing 25 serves to provide a gas-tight joint between the valve (I9, 24) and the groove 21 and the packing 26 serves to provide a gas-tight joint between the valve body I1 and the stem IS. A nut 28 and washer 29 serve to seal the upper end of the valve body I! to the handle I. Below the head l9 are the spring 30 and spring guide 3| which serve to return the valve head 19 to its seat when pressure on the button 20 is released.

Opening 23 communicates with the cylindrical spool chamber in the other end of the handle I through an opening 32. The outer endof this spool chamber is screw-threaded to-receive the plug 4 and the joint between the plug 4'and the handle I is made gas-tight by the washer '33.

Within the spool chamber is the spool,casing 34;

the spool 35 and the suture governor 36. As

appears from Figs. 4 and 5, the spool casing 34 is hollow and cylindrical and is provided at one end with an internal groove 31 for detachable connection to the spool. The spool casing is provided at its other end with the external groove 38 for detachable connection to the plug 4 and is further .provided with longitudinal slits 39 dividing the wall thereof into flexible tongues which may be sprung over the ridge 40 on the spool 35 and over the ridge 4| on the plug 4.

The spool 35 consists of a hollow cylindrical middle portion 42, a flat disc-shaped end portion 43, the outer edge of which provides the ridge 40 referred to above, and the rounded end portion 44 which permits the suture to slide over its rounded surface as it is unwound and withdrawn from the spool endwise. The suture governor 36 consists of the cylindrical shaft 45 which extends through the cylindrical opening in the spool and is tapped at its free end to receive the screw 46 by means of which it is rotatably secured to the spool. Integral with or fixedly secured to the shaft 45 is the disc 41 having an opening 48 which serves the double purpose of providing a passageway for the suture and of unbalancing the disc. The size of this opening will depend upon the degree of unbalancing desired. The purpose of un balancing the disc 41 is to control its rate of rotation as the suture is unwound from the spool. Depending upon the size and stiffness of the suture, the gas pressure and other factors, the suture tends to be ejected too rapidly and the governor 36, by being unbalanced and requiring force to rotate it, serves to retard the ejection of the suture to a suitable rate. A further optional expedient illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 is to provide the disc 41 of the governor 36 with inclined slits 49 so that as the gas passes through these slits it ends to rotate the governor. As is apparent, these slits may be so inclined as to either assist or retard the rotation of the governor.

The plug 4 has the cylindrical projection 50 to receive the hub 5| of the needle shaft 5 and the outer surface of this projection 50 is threaded to receive the sleeve 52 to secure the needle shaft to the plug.

The plug 4 has passageway 53 leading directly from the spool chamber to the needle for the passage of the suture and the propelling gas. The plug 4 has also the lateral bore 54 for the suture holder 8, a passageway 55 from the spool chamber to the bore 54 and an opening 56 from thebore 54 into the passageway53. The suture mg pin 60 through the spring 62.

holder 8 consists of the body 51 which is screwthreaded into the bore 54, the shaft 58 which is slidably supported in the body 51 by the screw 59, the holding pin 60 which is screw-threaded in to an opening in the shaft 58, the cup-shaped piston BI and the spring 52. As appears in Fig. 5, the shaft 58 is provided with the head 63 which serves as a seat for one end of the spring 82 and also as a seat for the piston 6|.

* Theinstrument is operated as follows. The

plug 2 is removed and the wing's'crew3 turned counterclockwise to its retracted position. A gas cartridge H is inserted into the handle and the plug 2 is replaced. The wing screw 3 is then turned forcing the gas cartridge down on the spear l4 and puncturing it. Screw 3 is then .tumed counterclockwise to release the gas. The rate of gas release through the puncture may be regulated by retracting the screw 3 more or less. Gas will of course not, flow from the cartridge until it is released into the spool chamber by operation of the valve 1.

The plug 4 with the needle and the spool assembly mounted thereon is then removed from the handle, a spool loaded with suture inserted and the suture threaded through the opening 48 and started into the passageway 53. The plug 4 is then attached to the handle and the button 20 depressed to release gas and eject the suture through the needle. In making a stitch any suture protruding from the needle is cut off by pulling the suture backwards against the sharp edge formed by the junction of the inclined surface of the needle point and the surface of the opening through the needle. The needle is then inserted through the tissue to be stitched and the button 20 pressed to eject a suitable length of suture, say, 10 inches which is caught and held by the other hand of the operator. The needle is then withdrawn, the suture tied and cut off.

When the button 20 is pressed itopens the valve (I9, 24) and permits gas to flow from the cartridge H into the spool chamber and through the passageway 55 where it acts on the piston 6| and raises the suture holding pin 60 releasing the suture. Gas then flows through the passageway 53 and the needle carrying the suture with it. When'the instrument is properly adjusted a brief depression of the button 20 of, say, l-second duration will eject a suitable length of suture, say, 10 inches. With a little practice the operator will learn how long to hold the button 20 to secure the desired ejection of suture. Generally a momentary pressure on the button 20 is sufficient.

' It will .be noted that the suture is freed to move through the needle only when gas is released by the valve 1, the release of the suture by the holder and the flow of gas to eject the suture being simultaneous. The rate of ejection of the suture can be regulated by regulation of the rate of flow of gas by means of the wing screw 3 and by the use of a suture governor having a suitable degree of imbalance and, if desired, with slits 49'at a suitable angle. Such adjustments generally are necessary to compensate for different sizes of suture and different sizes of needles and for variations in the gas pressure supplied by the gas cartridge or capsule. The suture holder also may be adjusted by turning the body 51 thereof to apply greater or less pressure on the suture hold- It may be necessary in'threading the needle to release the suture holder so that the suture can be threaded by hand through the passageway 53 to a point beyond the suture holder before the plug 4 is attached and gas released to eject the suture through the needle.

The use of gas under pressure to eject the suture permits the use of a highly flexible suture which could not be satisfactorily ejected or fed in any other way. The use of gas also serves to clear the tip of the needle and thus to prevent obstruction of the movement of the suture. I The use of gas further serves to eject the end of the suture outwardly from a deep wound where it readily maybe grasped by the operatar without the use of any instrument. The use of gas further simplifies the threading of the needle since it is not necessary to thread the suture all the way through the needle by hand. It is only necessary to start the suture through the passageway 53 and the flow of gas thus completes the threading operation.

The fact that the suture is firmly held excepting when it is being ejected avoids waste of suture and permits the instrument itself to beused to hold one end of the length of suture while it is being tied. The use of gas as the ejecting force for the suture, together with the regulating fea- 'tures referred to, i. e., the wing screw 3, the governor 36 and the suture holder 8, permit the instrument to be used with suture materials varying in size and stiffness. It is to be noted that although the suture holder serves to hold the suture against accidental movement it maybe so adjusted that the suture may be pulled through the holder without being broken. The end of the pin 60 which engages the suture may be either fiat or rounded or even roughened to increase its frictional holding force but generally it is preferred to round the pin 60 so as to avoid abrasion of the suture. The tension of the spring 6| may be increased, if necessary, to provide the desired holding force.

It will be appreciated that the instrument specifically shown and described is only one embodiment of my invention and that many changes in the details of construction may be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A suture gun comprising a tubular needle and a handle therefor, a first gas chamber in said handle adapted to contain gas under pressure,'a spool chamber in said handle, a first passageway connecting said spool chamber to said needle, 9. second passageway connecting said first gas chamber with said spool chamber, a valve controlling the passage of gas through said second passageway, a second gas chamber adjacent said first passageway, an opening connecting said second gas chamber with said first passageway, a spring-pressed holding member extending through said opening, a piston in said second gas chamber connected to said holding member and a third gas passageway from said spool chamber to said second gas chamber.

2. A suture gun comprising a tubular needle and a handle therefor, a first gas chamber in said handle adapted to contain gas under pressure, a spool chamber in said handle, a first passageway connecting said spool chamber to said needle, a second passageway connecting said first gas chamber with said spool chamber, a valve controlling the passage of gas through said second passageway, a spool mounted in said spool chamber, a disc rotatably mounted adjacent said spool. said disc having an opening through which the suture runs as it unwinds from the spool and moves toward said needle.

3. A suture gun as defined is claim 2 in which the disc is unbalanced.

4. A suture gun as defined in claim 2 in which the disc is provided with inclined surfaces in the path of fiow of the gas through the spool chamber.

BRUCE D. MULL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 662,658 Sterne Nov. 2'7, 1900 919,138 Drake Apr. 20, 1909 2,599,226 Briem June 3, 1952 

